April 28, 2014

The regions that show the highest percentage of electronic medical record usage — the Midwest and West Coast — tend to have more than 2.5 doctors per capita. Scroll over each state to see the percentage of electronic record adoption, the number of doctors per capita and the dollar amount of incentives each has received from the Obama administration since 2011 to make the shift.

March 10, 2014

More than 3 million people drive to work in the six-county Chicago area, more than those who commute by all other forms of transportation combined. About 11 percent of them are in a carpool with a neighbor, co-worker or family member. The rate of carpooling, however, varies drastically from one neighborhood to another. See where your area stacks up on Crain's carpool map below.

Feb. 6, 2014

Nearly four months after Safeway Inc., owner of Dominick's Finer Foods, announced that it was leaving Chicago after 15 years, grocery chains ranging from Whole Foods to Pete's Fresh Market to Mariano's have scooped up many of the former Dominick's stores in the Chicago area.

Dec. 23, 2013

An annual college debt report released by the Institute for College Access and Success places Illinois in the bottom ranks for college debt for the class of 2012. The average debt was just more than $28,000—making the state the 15th-worst in the country. The overall percentage of students who graduated with debt in 2012 was 64 percent.

Nov. 11, 2013

Nearly every part of the Chicago area has grappled with a rising number of vacant homes over the past few years. The highest concentrations of empty residential properties are clustered in lower-income neighborhoods in the city and the southern Cook County suburbs, where the issue has long been a challenge.

Nov. 11, 2013

Of the 47 parcels on the block, 17 are vacant lots, many of which had homes when she moved in. Three homes have been wrecked since 2007, one was ordered demolished in April but is still standing and the city has gone to court for permission to tear down seven more.

Nov. 04, 2013

Chicago has a long, rich history of immigration and ethnic diversity. But as the generations pass, are cultural roots forgotten? More than 7.7 million people live in the Chicago area, and about 30 percent of them speak a language other than English at home.

Aug. 19, 2013

How popular is outdoor dining throughout Chicago? Crain's looked up the permits and found that, in contrast to other parts of the city, some North Side wards -- including the 44th, home of Wrigley Field and Lakeview -- offer outdoor seating at roughly 1 out of every 3 restaurants.

Aug. 5, 2013

The United States is expected to need 7,200 more primary care providers, or 2.5 percent of the country's current total. The greatest need is found in low-income communities with high proportions of minority residents. Illinois needs about 270 more providers, the study projects

July 15, 2013

Chicago likes its bosses—not just the political kind. More people claim CEO as their job title in Chicago than any other big city, according to federal data. At the state level, Illinois has 3.7 CEOs per 1,000 jobs. It trails only California in total number of CEOs.

March 7, 2013

Illinois was home to 52 craft beer breweries — 11th out of the states — according to a report by the Brewers Association. On a population basis, though, Illinois was closer to the bottom of the barrel: 34th out of the 50 states and District of Columbia, with about one craft brewery for every quarter-million people.

Jan. 10, 2013

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's latest Annual Survey of Public Pensions in fiscal 2011, Illinois had $89.29 billion in total cash and investments to cover $175.59 billion in obligations to current and future retirees. By that count, the Land of Lincoln has a 50.9 percent funded ratio — worst among the 50 states.

Dec. 5, 2012

From toy drives to Secret Santa programs, it's no surprise the December charity season is all about kids. The 2010 Census, the most recent data available, shows that childhood poverty outpaces poverty in the overall population in many Illinois counties.

Nov. 6, 2012

We've reached fall — the season of the harvest as well as high-stakes politics. And now, a lame-duck Congress will have to decide whether to renew the expired federal farm bill or punt the legislation off to next year.

Oct. 5, 2012

Halloween ain't just for the kids anymore. American adults spent $512.1 million on costumes in 2011 — more than $100 million more than they spent during the year on kids' costumes. Which Chicago areas netted the highest spending in the adult costume market?

Sept. 7,2012

As college-aged students grab their backpacks and head to class this fall, their parents will grab their checkbooks — and probably cringe. We all know college is expensive, but are you paying more than your neighbors?